One of the hard balances to make in life is that balance between truth and love. The bible calls us to do both, to speak in both truth and speak in love. We see this dynamic play out in Ephesians 4: 14-16:
14We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Paul says that we are not to be tossed by every wave or by every issue, but we are to speak the truth (in love). And then we are to grow. And what does this growth do? It builds the body up in love.
We see that dynamic played out. Truth and love. Not either or. Both and.
My goal in life is not to be “right” but my goal is to love. Because if I am “right” but I do not love, then what have I accomplished?
Today, there maybe someone that really needs to hear a truth from you. They really need to hear it. And you may really need to speak it.
Speak truth.
But speak it in love. Because in the body, our “rightness” shows itself in our love.
Today, be faithful. Today, speak truth, live truth. Today, love.
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